In 2015, the final State Budget Package included language in the Fish and Game Code that changed “shall” to “may” to make future State Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) payments to counties permissive.  RCRC is sponsoring legislation authored by Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) to amend the Fish and Game Code back to the original “shall pay annually.”  

Senator McGuire’s Senate Bill 1188 is a bi-partisan effort, authored in conjunction with fifteen additional authors and co-authors.  Introduced February 18, 2016, SB 1188 may be heard in the first senate policy committee on or after March 20, 2016.

RCRC is urging all 36 State PILT counties to submit a letter of support for SB 1188 to Senator McGuire with a copy to respective state legislators and RCRC.  The 36 State PILT counties include Alpine, Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Marin, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Yolo, and Yuba. 

The text of SB 1188 can be accessed here.  The RCRC State PILT Q&A document can be accessed here.  Please contact Nick Konovaloff at nkonovaloff@rcrcnet.org with any questions or for assistance formulating a letter of support.